1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for a fuel dispenser having an integrated vapor recovery and fuel delivery system made from an extruded material.
2. Description of the Related Art
Vapor recovery systems and fuel dispensers have been in existence for quite some time. The vapor recovery system is used to collect vapors before they are emitted into the atmosphere while a vehicle is completing a fueling operation. Currently, the fuel delivery system and the vapor recovery system are separate components within a fuel dispenser. For both the fuel delivery system and the vapor recovery system to fit within the fuel dispenser, the copper piping used to construct each of the systems must have many different pieces with different shapes and sizes for both systems to fit within the fuel dispenser. Each piece of copper piping is soldered together. With so many piping pieces for each system, construction and maintenance costs are high because of the large quantity of pieces involved and the large amount of soldering that is needed to keep the pieces connected. The present invention reduces these maintenance costs considerably.
The present invention, in one form thereof, is a fuel dispenser having an integrated fuel delivery and vapor recovery system. The fuel dispenser is connected with a member constructed from extruded material. The member has at least one conduit for dispensing fluid such as fuel. Also, the member has a conduit for transporting vapor.
The invention, in another form thereof, comprises a method of integrating fuel delivery with a vapor recovery system for a fuel dispenser. The method includes constructing a member from an extruded material. The extruded material is constructed to have at least one fluid conduit for transporting fluid. Also, the extruded material is constructed to have a vapor conduit for transporting vapor.
An advantage of the present invention is that by constructing an integrated fuel delivery and vapor recovery system, there are less parts involved and therefore, less maintenance. Also, there are less opportunities for leaks where the parts are soldered together.
Another advantage of the present invention is that extruded material is less expensive than the copper currently being used.